How can I get my 2-year-old into his car seat without him throwing a tantrum?

That depends. Does waiting lead to your child complying? If so, then by all means do it. Making you wait is probably just his way of asserting himself and telling you that he wants to get in the seat himself, rather than having you put him in.

Once they get into a head-to-head with a parent, though, 2-year-olds often need some extra motivation to meet Mom or Dad halfway. Since most children like going places, the best way to get your son into his car seat may be to simply point out that nobody's going anywhere until he's securely strapped in. Of course, sitting in the car in your own driveway with the engine off is boring for you, too. But as long as you don't give up and let him use the adult seatbelt "just this once," it will work. What's more, once he knows that you'll never, ever start the car until he's properly buckled up, he'll probably stop picking that particular fight.

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